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.Despite 8 inches of snow that fell on New Years Day and rain throughout the event with the temperature in the mid 30s, a capacity crowd turned out to watch Leigh Wheeler win the "Jack Frost 150" Enduro and Bryan Gunsolus of Lakeview, New York captured the $500 to-win "Snowball" Demo Derby on Saturday afternoon at Mercer Raceway Park.
Driving a Chevrolet Lumina, Leigh Wheeler, a three-time Mercer Stock Car winner, made a return to racing in the first ever Enduro held at Mercer Raceway Park and came out victorious in the 150-lap event earning the $1,000 top prize. 109 of the 118 Enduro cars registered took the green flag as drivers ranged from age 14 to 64 hailing from all over Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. The all-star field of competitors was made up of some 50 current and former race car drivers.
"If you put me in something I can drive it," expressed the Stoneboro, Pa. 33-year-old driver. "I got mud in my eyeball. I'll tell you what, I hit so many people and I didn't mean to and I got hit and I'm sure they didn't mean to. On that first red, my windshield wiper fell off and I could only see out of half of the windshield. It was pretty tough seeing. It looks like all mud out there, but in the turns it was nothing but a sheet of ice. I have to thank Steve Guthrie, my dad, and Chris for helping me get this car ready."
Glenn Noland, a 16-time Enduro winner throughout the region, was a last minute entrant in the event starting 107th. Noland, who was also a big winner in the Stock Car class before moving into the Late Model division and more recently the Sprint Cars, charged his way through the pack and dominated the first third of the race. Noland pitted on lap 65 and relinquished the lead as Wheeler and Kevin Latshaw battled for the new top spot. Latshaw, a former Modified racer who is now the weighmaster at the track, had passed Wheeler on lap 61, but his car slowed allowing Wheeler to take the lead on lap 83.
Noland, who had a large lead when he pitted, re-entered the event some five laps later, and began to make his way back to the front. Noland passed Latshaw for second on lap 110 and then regained the lead from Wheeler on lap 122. Noland appeared headed for his 17th career Enduro win, but his car went up in smoke on lap 130 handing the lead back to Wheeler.
Wheeler, who started 16th, went on to lead the last 21 laps to take the checkered flag first. Tom Pavelko, a Mini Stock racer who won the Fall Fest at The Challenger Raceway in October, was second after starting 62nd and earned $500. Former Stock Car racer Pete Blazczak came all the way from 104th to finish third, which was worth $400. William Ottaway, Jr. finished fourth after starting 92nd for $300. Bryan Wagner, the 2006 Strictly Stock Champion and current Stock Car driver, was fifth after starting 72nd and won $200. The race took 2 hours and 7 minutes to complete, which included three red flag stoppages.
Mercer Raceway Park wishes to thank all of the fans for the excellent turnout, the amazing participation by the drivers, and the outstanding work by track manager Frank Benic and Wayne Sheets and the rest of his crew for preparing the facility for the event.
"Jack Frost 150" Enduro (top 15 official): 1. LEIGH WHEELER ($1,000) 2. Tom Pavelko 3. Pete Blazczak 4. William Ottaway, Jr. 5. Bryan Wagner 6. Allan Foregone 7. Jon Breads 8. Mark Latshaw 9. Jason Wilfong 10. Steve Antenucci 11. Steve Toth 12. Kevin Latshaw 13. Michael Pomponio 14. Dakota Papsun 15. Glenn Noland
Other drivers competing (in order by car number/starting position): Carlos Aponte, Bud Sergeff, Bill Simmons, Ben Porter, Rusty Wheeler, Kyle Ripper, Rich Ridinger, Mike Pegher, Jr., Brian Turk, Brandon Blackshear, Shaun Hooks, Merle Black, Chris Roberts, David Byers, Jr., George Byers, Dale Hinkle, Bill Everetts, Frank Gioffre, Charles McConnell, Tommy Marshall III, Tim Gillette, Henry Russo, Don Uber, Troy Tatton, Scott Bochek, Aaron Hill, Todd Gabriel, Bruce Milbert, Arnie Kent, Dan Colwell, Dave Bass, Sean Beck, John Wimer, Tod Cook, Steve Haefke, Tom Warren, Raymond Harr, Dwight Boice, Rusty Cade, Glenn Kopec, Tim Bish, Tim Beatty, Ryan Beatty, Andy Paden, Tyler Palmer, Bruno Mowery, Steve Mowery, Ed Bolyard, Doug Fairfield, Dave Ferringer, Larry Krummert, Richard Wolfe, Mark Thompson, Jerry Fisher, Fred Adams, Jr., Dan McEwen, C.J. Loeffler, Jeff Jeffers, Larry White, Josh Wetmore, Ken Walter, Russ Byler, Aaron Fraser, Ryan Moyer, Joe Ziegler, Michael Klein, John Tomson, Dillon Barr, Stacy Neubecker, Edward Goldner, Jr., Jason Joiner, Tim Stump, Andy Sweetland, Eric McCray, Carl Vilardo III, Jeff Kelwaski, Herman Kelwaski, Robby Switzer, Joseph Keney, Gary Fisher, John Larkin, Brian Smusz, Caleb Peterson, Garrett Miles, Adam Noland, Chris Schneider, Larry Wagner, Jr., Brian Tuche, Ryan Boyd, Ronnie Boyd, Brian Flickenger, Jim Jones, Fred Schultz, Charles Ramsey.
Registered driver, but did not show: Matt Haag, Mike Flockerzi, Charles Hood III, Tim Capps, Jr., Steven Ace, John Radvansky, Daniel Varga, Samuel Entrikin, Gary Beer
Upcoming Events:
1/12 Mercer Raceway Park Annual Awards Banquet & Dinner. Doors open at 5:30 PM. Dinner at 6:30 with awards to follow
3/29 "Chiller Thriller" featuring Steel-Block Late Models ($2,000), Open Stock Cars ($1,000), Mini Stocks ($150), plus fourth division TBA. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps at 6:15 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m.
Mercer Raceway Park is located minutes from both Interstate 79 and 80 just off Route 19 on Fairground Road in Mercer, Pa. Dirt track racing and quality family entertainment are presented weekly late March through early October. The office in New Bedford, Pa. is open year-round after 1:00 p.m. |
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